


The Resurrection

by ZJ2882



Category: Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-04
Updated: 2018-10-04
Packaged: 2019-07-25 00:01:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16185920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZJ2882/pseuds/ZJ2882
Summary: Chase couldn't move heaven and earth, so he changed space and time. A gertchase resurrection fic. I suck at summaries.





	The Resurrection

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in a couple hours and only looked it over twice. I apologize for any typos. I'll take a look at it with fresh eyes tomorrow, and make any typo/grammar changes needed. I knew if I didn't post it now, I never would and it would sit with the other fics in my folder. Hope you enjoy.

Her breathing was shallow he could tell that each breath caused her pain.

“Stay with me, Gert. We’re going to get you to a hospital but you need to stay awake,” he begged trying not to move her too much. He had one hand pressing down on her wound and the other behind her head.

She was going to die, she knew this without a shadow of a doubt. It was okay. She died saving her sister and that’s something she could never regret. Molly would be fine, she knew that Chase would take care of her.

There were worse ways to go than in the arms of the boy you love, she mused. She didn’t know if there was anything waiting on the other side, she didn’t really believe there was another side… it scared her a little, but she also felt at peace. She didn’t feel the pain from the bullet anymore, her body was starting to feel blissfully numb and cold.

She was happy Lace listened to her and dragged Molly away, she didn’t want her sister to watch her die. She didn’t need to tell Molly how important she was to her. Molly knew that even though they weren’t blood, she was Gert’s soul. No, right now the only person that needed to know they were loved was holding her, trying to figure out a way of moving her without hurting her worse.

“Chase?” she whispered, trying to get his attention. She didn’t realize how hard it would be to speak, she had to tell him now.

Chase looked down at her, tears were running down his face, “shh, don’t say anything. Soon we'll be found and Nico can fix you enough to get you to a hospital, just hang in there okay?”

She gave him a sad smile, “I’m not going to make it. I’m sorry, but I want you to know that I lo-” before she could finish a voice interrupted her.

“Give her to me.” A frantic voice said from behind Chase, she must be delirious because it sounded just like Chase, but she knew it wasn’t. She hoped whoever it was wouldn’t hurt him.

Chase turned at the voice, he lowered her head and placed a hand near his fistigons.

He didn’t need this right now, he needed to help Gert. The man walked out of the shadows with a hood covering most of his face.

“Listen, I can’t explain everything right now but if you don’t let me take her, she’ll die.”

“Why the hell would I trust some stranger? You’re probably working with the pride.” He inched his hand closer to his glove. He would blast this asshole and then take Gert and run.

“I’m not part of the pride, Chase. God you’re stubborn, look at me,” he said removing the hood. “I’m you. I’m from the future and if you don’t let me take her she dies, and you spend the next four years in hell. You find out tonight that Nico’s staff can’t bring back the dead, because she will be dead by the time they find you.”

Chase couldn’t believe he was looking at himself. Four years would make him 21 but this guy looked older.

“How do I know you’re not something conjured up by the Pride?” He looked down at Gert, she could barely keep her eyes open, he was losing her. He knew she wouldn’t make it to the hospital, she had lost too much blood. She’d die and he’d be empty.

Future Chase bent down on the other side of Gert. Chase could see that her death was affecting him. “She’s the only person that’s ever made you feel whole. When you were in middle school you had signals to let her know your dad was in a mood, and she’d convince her parents to have you over for the night. I could sit here and recite your whole life, every secret, every regret, because I am you… but we don’t have time for that. She only has a few minutes left. Let me take her, heal her, and I promise to bring her back to you.”

Chase was torn, “I don’t know what to trust.”

“Trust that you love her enough to dedicate years looking for a way to bring her back.”

He looked down at Gert, whose breathing had become more strained and erratic. He bent down and whispered in her ear, “I love you, Gert and I’ll see you soon.”

Chase stepped back and looked into his own tired eyes. “Take her.”

He watched as he picked up Gert and walked away.

Chase watched them expecting them to get into some sort of machine but they just disappeared into thin air.

It was after they were gone the panic set in. Oh god what did he do? How could he let Gert go like that? He put his face in his hands and sobbed. He’d probably never see her again, and now he’s denied his friends the chance to say goodbye and bury her.

“Chase?” Nico’s hesitant voice called out.

He wiped his face with his shirt, “what?”

She walked into his view and he saw everyone else standing behind her. Molly was hugging Old Lace crying, she must’ve told them all what happened.  
Molly looked around, “Where is she?”

Chase didn’t know what to say: _I’m sorry I sent her to the future_ didn’t seem right. “I’m sorry, Molly. She’s gone.”

Molly walked around frantic, “But where is her body? Nico is gonna try to bring her back!”

Chase looked at his friends, everyone single one of them was crying. They all lost someone they loved, a part of their family, but they wouldn’t be able to say goodbye.

“Nico’s staff can’t bring back the dead.” He said, repeating what his future self said.

Molly marched up to him angry, eyes glowing. “You don’t know that, she can at least try!”

Chase tried to put his hand on her shoulders to comfort her but she pushed him away.

“Where is my sister?”

“She’s gone.” Taking a deep breath, he explained, “A future version of myself came and took her, he said he would bring her back.”

He knew that wouldn’t go over well. Nico looked ready to murder him, Alex doubtful, Karolina gave him the most pitting look, and Molly he could tell didn’t believe him.

“Do you really think this is the time for jokes,” Nico spat out.

He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, “do you really think I’d be joking about something like this?” He yelled, “I sat here with her as she was dying, I still have her blood all over me.” He stretched out his shirt to show her the stain, and held out his bloodied hands.  “I would’ve done anything to switch places with her… how can you think I’d lie about this?”

Molly was the first to break. Her eyes stopped glowing and the tears returned, “will she really be back?”  
Chase ignored everyone one else and concentrated only on Molly. “That’s what he said. He knew things about me that only I would know. He said he spent four years working on a way to bring her back. I don’t know if she will survive time travel, I really don’t, Molly. But I took the chance because I couldn’t turn down the possibility.”

Molly fell into his arms and cried into his shirt.

Nico was shaking, “you made a mistake. You should have let me tried to bring her back or heal her, now there’s no way of finding her.”

“He said your staff didn’t work and I believed him. It was me Nico. Older, sadder, smarter, and determined but it was me.”

Nico dropped herself to the pavement, she couldn’t handle this. “I didn’t even get to say goodbye,” She whispered.

“None of us did,” Karolina said sitting beside her, “but maybe we just need to have a little faith right now”

“Faith?” Alex asked, “I’m sorry but until Gert is back, I can’t live hoping she’s alive. How can any of us? Every day that she’s gone will be another disappointment, we can’t live like that. I suggest you all find a way of saying goodbye and let yourself mourn. It’s the only healthy thing to do.”

“That’s rich,” Chase scoffed. “…coming from the guy who skipped out on Amy’s funeral.”

“You really wanna go there right now,” Alex asked gearing up for a fight.

“Stop it!” Molly yelled. “I just lost my sister and you guys are fighting? I don’t care what you do.. mourn or don’t, but if Chase says that he came from the future to save Gert, then I have faith in him to do it.

Chase gave her a small smile. He prayed Gert would return soon, but in the meantime he had to take care of Molly and Lace.

“Let’s go home,” Karolina suggested, standing up and offering Nico and hand.

Chase stayed back a moment after his friends walked away. He looked down at the spot where he held Gert, her blood polled on the pavement. He knew there was no way for him to reach the future but he hoped that wherever he was right now, he’d remember this moment and bring Gert back as fast as possible.

**_***_ **

**_year 2022_ **

 

Gert woke up slowly, she wasn’t in pain but she was uncomfortable. From what she could tell she was in a hospital room. Without her glasses everything was a bit blurry.

“You’re awake.” A familiar voice said, she turned towards the door and saw Chase standing there… except he looked different.

She tried to sit up but a wave a nausea hit her.

“Don’t move, you just had surgery yesterday and you could pull a stitch.” He took the seat by her bed and wrapped his hand around hers.

Gert wasn’t sure what to say. This was Chase but he looked totally different from last night.

Giving her what he hoped was a comforting smile, “I know you’re confused right now.”

“Yeah, that’s an understatement. You said I had surgery yesterday but have I been in a coma?” It was the only explanation. There was no way Chase grew that much stubble and age a few years in one night.

“No coma. You are however, in the future, 2022 to be exact.”

“Very funny.” She rolled her.

Chase pulled her glasses out of his jacket pocket and placed them on her face. “I’m not joking, Gert. I wish I was but it’s the truth. I went back in time to save you, because you died in 2018.

“How?”

“I can’t tell you too much about life after you died, because once we return you to 2018 that timeline will no longer exist.” And he prayed that the new timeline would be better. “It’s imperative that when you go back you live life the way you would normally and follow your instincts. So the less you know about the future the better.”

Pushing up her glasses she asked, “Can you at least tell me how you managed to save me?”

“I guess I can tell you some of it.” He let go of her hand and leaned back in his chair. “After your death, I wasn’t the same. I spent all my time making sure Molly and Lace were okay, they were my only connection to you and I was obsessed with keeping them safe. A few months after your death, I was made aware of the fact that time travel existed in the future. Once I knew that, nothing else mattered.” He took out a small globe and rolled it between his hands, “I told you my father was obsessed with time travel, and I’m ashamed to say I became like him in that aspect. It was all I could think of. I spent years working to make time travel a possibility for me in my present time. Took me about three years before I was successful. The first time I time traveled only a few hours into the past, to make sure it worked, then I traveled a few days into the future. After testing it several times, I finally made the first jump to save you.”

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Sure, they’ve dealt with magic, aliens, mutants, and evil parents but for some reason time travel seemed surreal.

“The first?” she asked.

“The first of many. The thing about timelines is you have to be careful with what you change, you don’t want to create a butterfly effect.”

“And did you?”

“Yes. The first time I went back, I saved you too early. You were never shot, I was elated at the moment, until I realized by saving you I had inadvertently killed Molly.”

She gasped, though she knew Molly was okay, he heart broke at the thought of Molly dying. “Oh my god.”

Chase reached for her hand again, knowing she would need the support to hear the rest of his story. “I knew I couldn’t let Molly die, so I went back again and let you die.” He closed his eyes for a moment reliving her death again.

“I came back to my time and reevaluated the situation. I went back about a month later, this time I knocked out Wilder before he could shoot either of you. I thought I had finally cracked the code to keeping you alive.” he said bitterly, “but then as you guys were leaving, Wilder woke up and shot both Nico and Alex.” He exhaled, “so that time I had killed two people. So, I went back in time again and let you die. I did this five times. Five times I saved you and killed our friends. But I had to watch you die more times than that, I swear it killed a piece of me every time.”

Blinking to keep his eyes from tearing up, “Finally I realized that someone had to be mortally wounded that night. The timeline wanted its pound of flesh, so I went back and started timing how long you lived after being shot, where everyone was at the time, and how long before the others showed up. I knew I would need enough time to talk myself into letting you go, while still allowing time for the travel and surgery. When I went back last night, I had everything ready here. The surgical team was waiting, I had enough blood for transfusions… I knew last night would finally be the night I was successful.”

Gert couldn’t keep herself from crying. “Chase, why didn’t you move on? I mean, I am thankful, so thankful you saved me but I would never want you to torture yourself that way. It sounds like you didn’t really live these past few years.”

“Gert, when you died… I died with you. I was a walking corpse. Nothing was the same, nothing was right. It wasn’t even about being together, because if we don’t work out, knowing you’re alive is enough to keep me going. I know it’s selfish, but it’s the only selfish thing I allowed myself since losing you.”

She was taken aback by that, she never realized how deep his feelings were. “Chase, before I died I was trying to tell you – “

“Don’t.” He said, almost begging. He didn’t want to hear it, not now. “Please don’t say it. Wait until you’re back and tell it to him. He needs it, I already know.”

“Alright,” she agreed. “When can I go home?”

“You need to recover, and according to the doctor that will take at least a few weeks. So, you’re stuck here for about a month.” A month where he’d have to keep his distance. She may be the girl he loved but she was still a girl at seventeen. He was twenty-one he had no business getting attached to her, she was far too young.

“God, they’re all gonna be so sad.”

“Don’t worry, Chase has told them what happened.” It was odd speaking of himself in third person, and thinking of himself as someone else entirely.

“How do you know…. Never mind.”

“I still have those memories,” He admitted. “I look forward to the ones that come after you’ve returned to your time.”

Giving him a small smile, “so does that mean I can explore the future a little?” she asked hopefully.

He shook his head, “I’m sorry, but no. You can’t know anything more about the future. We can’t risk it changing any more than it will once you’re back.”

Gert sighed, “I understand. I hate that our friends are going to spend the next month thinking I’m dead, especially Molly. I wish there was a way to send them a message.”

“There’s not. I mean, there is but they’re not equipped to receive it. Once I take you back, they won’t have any memory of mourning you. I plan to take you back to the hostile the same night you died, that way our friends won’t suffer and there’s less of a chance of changing anything major.”

“But isn’t me being alive, when I’ve been dead for several years changing something big? Won’t that change everything?”

“It will change some things but not everything, at least that’s what I gathered from the future.”

“You went into the future?”

Chase chastised himself for letting that slip, “Yes. I told you, I spent years finding a way to bring you back. I needed to be sure that I did this right.”

“Chase, that’s crazy. I love you for rescuing me but we can’t mess with time like this. I’m not going to pretend to know the first thing about time travel, but I think I’ve watched enough Doctor Who to know not to mess with it.”

“Gert, the future isn’t written in stone.” He tried to think of a nice way of explain what he needed to say, but decide to just go with the truth. “Your death is not a world altering event, even if it felt like it to me. Bringing you back will have minimal changes and consequences.”

“What happens to you once I go back?” Did this Chase continue on living in misery or would he finally find some peace? Would he remember all this?

“Well, I’m not sure. I know you’ll be alive and that’ll be enough for me, but I hoping you’ll be here with me when I return.”

“I can’t imagine it being any other way.”

“You never know. Things change throughout the years, I don’t know if we’ll last but as long as we’re at least friends I’ll always be happy.” He stood up giving her hand a squeeze, “You should get some rest.”

Nodding, “yeah, I am kind of tired. Hey, just one more question.”

“Yeah?”

“This isn’t a hospital but it’s cold like one, where are we?” Once she had her glasses she noticed she was in what looked like a bedroom.

He hesitated for a moment, he wasn’t sure how she’d react to where they were. “My parents old house, this is my room actually. I, um, inherited it and renovated it. Kept the lab downstairs, just extended it. Never got the chance to decorate much.

“oh…” This was Victor Stein’s house. Chase was living in a place he was terrorized as a child, and from what she saw he wasn’t trying to make better memories here.

“Get some rest, Gert.”

Gert watched him walk out. She had so many confusing emotions. She couldn’t believe this was her Chase, he barely cracked a smile and he looked like he didn’t sleep. It hurt her heart, she did that to him. She knew it wasn’t her fault but she still felt guilty.

 She wondered if the roles were reversed if she would’ve done the same thing… she didn’t know. She knew she loved Chase, her Chase, the sweet seventeen year old she left behind and that her heart ached for this older Chase. She hoped her return would fix things for him, that he’d find happiness even if that wasn’t with her. If her return could spare Chase all these years of pain then that alone would make it worth it. Timelines be damned.

***

The month passed by quickly. Gert was thankful for the time to heal properly in a sterile environment. She still had discomfort but she was ready to go home, it had been so long since she held her sister, her friends, and Chase. While she may have had a version of Chase, he wasn’t hers, he was distant and though she understood why. She just wanted to get back to her own people.

Chase told her they’d be traveling today and he tried to prep her for her reunion with her friends, reminding her it would just be an hour at most for them, even if it was a month for her. She didn’t care, she missed them so much.

“You ready to go?” Chase asked from the doorway.

Gert got up and walked over to him, “yeah, let’s go.” She wasn’t sure what to expect, he didn’t tell her about his time machine and she didn’t really ask.

“We can do it right here,” he said.

“What? Don’t we need your time machine?”

“Yeah, I used nano tech to turn the original machine into a smaller device that opens a portal of sorts.” He pulled out the small globe she’d catch him playing with sometimes.

“God, you really are a genius, aren’t you?” She said in awe.

“My IQ says so but I’ve never felt like one.” He held out his hand for her, “time to go back.”

Gert put her hand in his and watched as he fiddled with the device. Seconds later there was a portal, it looked like a blurry blob, she didn’t know how else to explain it but it was white and opaque.

Chase smiled at her, “come on,” and guided her through it.

It was like stepping through a door, one second she was in 2022 and the next she was in 2018 at the hostile. She worried about someone having something so powerful, but she knew Chase could be trusted, even if he already abused it once.

“It’s exactly the same. All the stuff is in the exact same place.”

“It’s been minutes since your disappearance. The team will be here soon, they’re on their way now. I’m sorry I have to leave you alone, but I can’t risk anymore people from the past seeing me.”

“I understand,” she said awkwardly. She gave him a small smile and stepped up to hug him.

Chase was startled by her hug, he had purposely kept her at arm’s length. He didn’t know if he and Gert would survive through the years, but he told himself that didn’t matter as long as she was alive. It was the truth but the thought still hurt.

“Promise me something,” she asked stepping away from him.

“Anything.”

“Find a way to be happy, regardless of what happens. Move on, reconnect with people. You deserve that and so much more.”

“I promise I’ll try.” He gave her a genuine smile for the first time, “it was good to see you again, Gert.” Then turned around and walked through the portal.

Gert stood there for a moment staring at the spot he was just standing in.

She was nervous, she knew it wasn’t long for her friends but it had been a month for her, and she just wanted to hug them.

 ***

Chase and the rest of the gang somberly made their way back home. No one uttered a word on the drive there, no one knew what to say. All they could do at this point was wait and hope that everything worked out. He parked in the woods like he always did to hide the car. As soon as he shut the car off Lace started scratching at the door.

“Relax,” Molly said as she opened the door for dinosaur. “She must really have to use the bathroom, I’ve never seen her run like that.”

When they made it to the hostel, they noticed the grate was removed.

Alex was concerned, “did you guys forget to put the grate back?”

“No, I was the one that closed it,” Karolina told him.

“Guys be ready for anything,” Nico raised her staff and followed Chase inside who had put his fistigons on.

When they walked into the main room none of them were prepared for what they saw. Gert was there hugging Old Lace. Gert, who they’d just lost.

Molly ran up to them and threw herself on the pair. “I can’t believe it, you’re alive! Oh my god, was it really Chase? Did you time travel? Where did you go? Who did you see? How were you healed?”

 “Molly, please reunion first questions later. I haven’t seen you guys for a month.”

The rest of the team joined them hugging Gert and hugging each other.

Once everyone calmed down and wiped the tears off their face is when Chase finally asked, “a month?”

Gert sat down with lace at her feet, “yeah, it was a month for me. I couldn’t go anywhere until my wound healed.”

Nico shifted uncomfortably, “what was it like? Were we all still together?”

“I don’t know. I was mostly bedridden and Chase said I couldn’t learn too much about the future. He was afraid it could create a butterfly effect.”

“Makes sense,” Alex chimed in, “knowing too much about the future could alter the choices we make today and have a negative impact on the future.”

“Right, but didn’t he already change the future saving Gert?” Karolina asked.

Gert wondered how much she should share with them, something told her that she shouldn’t go into the same amount of detail Chase did. She’d save that information for him alone.

“According to him, he did a lot of research and said my death was not a world altering event, and bringing me back wouldn’t make much of a difference.”

“That’s bullshit, your death was the worst thing that ever happened to me,” Molly said. “It was even worse than losing my parents.”

“Hey, I’m okay. I’m here.” She said wrapping an arm around her sister.

“Who would’ve thought Chase would be the one to figure out time travel?” Nico said, trying to lighten the mood.

“Well, he does have a genius level IQ.” Gert defended, “as for time travel… he said it existed he just manipulated it to work for him, or something along those lines.”

“I can’t believe Chase traveled back in time to save his girlfriend.” Molly said getting up and walking over to Chase throwing her arms around him, “thank you.”

Shaking his head, “I didn’t do anything Molls, he did.”

“You loved her enough to let her go, that’s huge.” She let him go, “When you guys get married I am calling maid of honor.” Yawning she said, “I’m so tired, I’m gonna go to bed and pretend tonight never happened.” Molly went over and gave Gert another hug. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“It’s probably time for all of us to go to bed,” Nico said following Molly’s lead and hugging Gert. “Don’t ever scare us like that again, this doesn’t work without you.” She said into her shoulder.

“Love you too, Nico.”

Karolina and Alex hugged Gert and went to their rooms as well, leaving Chase and Gert alone.

Chase didn’t know what to say. He still couldn’t believe she was standing here in front of him, he just lost her. She was just bleeding, he still had her blood on his hands and clothes. But she was here, she was alive.

“I’ve never been so scared… I thought… I thought I lost you forever,” He confessed.

Gert stood up and went to him, she went to hug him but he stepped away from her.

She couldn’t help the hurt in her voice, “what’s wrong?”

“I’m covered in blood. Your blood. It’s still kinda wet, I don’t wanna get it on you.”

Stepping towards him again, “I don’t care.” She said as she wrapped her arms around him.

“I haven’t seen you in a month, but it feels longer.”

“You were with him and he’s technically me.”

“He’s you… but he’s also not. That Chase was different... colder. He spent the years I was gone obsessed with bringing me back… I think somewhere along the way he lost himself. I… I don’t ever want that to be you. If something happens to me, I want you to promise me you’ll move on and try to be happy.”

“I can’t promise that, Gert.”

“Please. I can’t live knowing that I somehow have ruined your life.”

“You’ve never ruined anything. For me, you make everything better. Will you tell me about it? I know you didn’t tell them everything, I could see you were holding back.”

“Why don’t we get you cleaned up and then talk in our room.”

“Lead the way,” he grabbed her hand and followed her to their bathroom. Gert sat on the toilet and waited for him as he showered. She could practically feel the anxiety rolling off of him.

Once they were laying in bed Gert told him everything future Chase told her. She left out the part where he had compared himself to his father, but shared everything else she could remember.

“So, he said we learn about time travel at some point. I wonder how.”

“He didn’t explain. He wouldn’t tell me anything he felt could change the timeline any more than it would.”

“So, now that the timeline has changed, I won’t need to bring you back... but maybe I do need to look into time travel just in case. Him saving you should have rebooted this timeline from that night, meaning at this point anything is possible, and the old timeline is gone. Since I already went back and prevented your death, I won’t have to do it again in a few years. Still, it won’t hurt to be prepared just in case.”

She was getting a headache from all the timeline talk. “Chase, promise me something.”

“I’m not gonna promise you I won’t bring you back if something happens to you, so don’t ask.”

Ignoring him, she continued. “Promise me, that you’ll never put my life above anyone else’s. I know I can’t stop you from doing certain things, but hopefully in this timeline you won’t have to. Just promise me that when it comes down to it, you’ll try to make the right choice.”

“You’re always the right choice, but I promise to think of what you would want before doing anything, ok?”

“That’s all I ask. You know, I was trying to tell you something after I was shot.”

“I don’t want you to feel like you need to say it to make me feel better.”

“I would never.” She said taking his face in her hands, “Chase I love you, and I never want you to doubt that. I know it may sound dumb because we’re only seventeen, but you’re it for me. I know this without a doubt.”

“I love you too, babe.”

“I know…”

***

_**year 2022** _

Chase walked back into his room from 2018 and looked around. The hospital bed that was in here was gone. The room wasn’t as barren as before, art was on the walls and there were decorations throughout, but nothing telling him Gert was here. He walked to his nightstand and picked up his cell phone, scrolling through the contacts he saw Gert’s name, no contact photo.

He called her, he had to know where she was and if she was okay. His memories from what he could tell hadn’t changed and it scared him.

“Hello?” Gert answered.

“Gert? It’s Chase.”

“Yeah,” sounding confused. “I know it’s you but why are you calling me?”

They must not be together anymore. Chase felt a sharp pain in his chest but pushed it aside. She was alive. “Um… I just wanted to hear your voice, I’m sorry for bothering you.”

“Oh my god! it happened tonight didn’t it?”

“What?” He asked, confused.

“Chase, please come downstairs.”

Chase dropped his phone, and as soon as he walked out of his room, he was hit with a rush of memories. They didn’t use his old room anymore, they used the downstairs master because Gert liked the pool view. Molly lived with them and while the runaways were still tight, they all had their own homes. He ran down the stairs where Gert was waiting for him. Her hair was longer and dark brown, she was in shorts and a tank top, she was the best and most beautiful thing he’d ever seen in his life. He hugged her picking her up off the floor.

“I knew it was going to happen sometime soon, but I didn’t know it would be tonight. Do you remember anything about us?” she asked, running her fingers through his hair.

Nodding, “I remember everything. We were about to start a movie and I was supposed to make popcorn, except I never made it to the kitchen.”

She rested her forehead against his, “I’m not sure how this all works but you can relax. I’m here to stay.”

“I love you, babe.”

“I love you too. I knew you were it for me when I was seventeen and I know it now. We’re forever.”

***

**_2018 – 3 months after Gert’s return_ **

 

They were finally home. They had another intense fight with the pride but they won this one. Their parents were done. Gone. Even though they wouldn’t admit it aloud they were all a bit sad. Yes, they were evil, but they were still their parents.

A cloud of smoke greeted them as they walked into the hostile. When the smoke cleared they saw a large machine and a woman clinging to it. Everyone got ready to fight off an attack when she stumbled out of the machine and fell to her knees.

“What year is it?” she asked before looking up. “Ah, Karolina is still here so I made it, it’s 2018.”

Chase knew this woman, “Gert?”

“Chase?” She smiled weakly, “You’re alive, I thought I’d never see you again.” He went to her and kneeled down, he noticed she was bleeding from her side. Not again.

“Oh my god, another time travel episode, this time to save Chase?” Nico asked.

“No Nico, it’s to save you all. He killed all of you and now I’m dying as well.” She said struggling to get it all out. She closed her eyes, “Yes, it’s really me Gertrude. Listen to me well, you can’t trust him even when you think it’s safe and he’s been reprogrammed, he’s not. Victorious will rise if you don’t kill him.”

“We’re not murderers,” Gert said.

“You’re not. You’re all heroes, we were all avengers but now the avengers have fallen, there isn’t a single one left and Victorious is going to end the world as we know it. One life for billions. It’s not murder… it’s justice.” She pulled something out of her jacket and gave it to Chase.

“He goes by Victor Mancha, you must find him and end him before he ends us all. You died in my arms, Chase, and now I’m dying in yours again.”

It was that moment Chase put it together, this was how he learned about time travel. This must be where his obsession began. It looked like he was going to have to change the timeline one more time. He looked down at this older Gert.

She was gone.

But he’d do whatever was necessary to make sure Victorious would never rise.

Gert watched as Chase closed the eyes on her future self. She once questioned if she’d be willing to change time to save Chase, and she had her answer. Gert may have had more than a singular reason to come back in time, but she knew in her heart that she would’ve come back just for him. It looked like they had to mess with the timeline once more.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Just FYI while I don't have current plans for a sequel, I'm not against it. If inspiration strikes, I may write it.


End file.
